Former Vice President Joe Biden seemed like the choice for Democrats searching for a reasonable candidate for the 2020 presidential election. He had a lovable grandpa vibe and appeared as a fun-loving sidekick to former President Barack Obama.
Now, he has decided to puff out his bird chest and be Donald Trump’s opponent in a cage match at WrestleMania.
At a rally against sexual violence last week, Biden said he would have “beaten the hell out of Trump” in high school for the way he treats women. Trump took this personally, and tweeted a retaliation Thursday morning.
“Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault. He doesn’t know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Don’t threaten people Joe!”
Reminiscent of high school, these two guys will just yell at each other and never actually fight.
However, people did not expect this of Biden, especially when we look back at his days as vice president. Obama apparently masked this fact from us with his shining star charisma. You never heard much of Biden during the Obama years. Only playful banter with the two that made the duo known as “relatable.” We have definitely seen a hidden side to the complex world that is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
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Why would Biden stoop to Trump’s level, especially at a rally for sexual violence and assault? The Huffington Post has already noted this makes him look a little chauvinistic, though I must disagree. I believe someone saying he would fight in defense of women does not imply women cannot do the fighting themselves, but rather shows he is a strong believer in the cause.
Either way, this response shows Biden’s inability to grab hold of enough votes from the far-left feminists and eventually far-left voters as a whole. Biden obviously has not learned to pick his spots, which leads me to believe fighting is not his strong suit, either.
Another reason this rhetoric proved to work against Biden is the fact that Trump is a loose cannon, and most people want him removed from office for this fact. This act has shown Biden also does not have much of a filter. Though this act does not necessarily set Biden on par with Trump, it proves Biden may not be the type who can get his point across in a civil fashion.
Many people also believe Biden saying he would fight Trump could help the president. To many, Trump appeared strong and no nonsense. This is how Trump also swayed a few Democrats to vote in his favor.
People feel afraid and betrayed, so appealing to their need of a strong protector is a wise political strategy. It has worked on multiple occasions in the past. Biden’s approach may help him win moderate Democrats, those who feel they need a strong leader who is not afraid to exercise their showmanship.
Those who were fond of Ronald Reagan and are beginning to notice Trump is all bark and no bite may find Biden’s recent antics refreshing. Even supporters of both Bill and Hilary Clinton may like Biden’s ability to show empathy for the people and strength against threats.
This group is far fewer in numbers in comparison to the younger generation of the left, which does not necessarily enjoy the verbal smack down.
Democrats would be wise to search for another candidate for 2020. I am not saying Biden is no longer a viable option, but Democrats should choose someone who is bland and boring if they want to garner enough votes to remove Trump from the presidency.
At this point, even if you believe the government needs radical reform (which it does), we must go back to the ground floor with a quiet puppet or a reasonable progressive mind.
Chuck Valadez is a sophomore at the University of Arizona; he is majoring in ethics and minoring in both economics and government and public policy. You can follow him on Twitter
